


For a Cat

by Shadeyrain



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Cute things, F/F, Fluff, Nepeta becomes a very talented artist when she gets older, Wrote this for my cute matesprit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-11
Updated: 2014-06-11
Packaged: 2018-02-04 08:01:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1771699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadeyrain/pseuds/Shadeyrain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dog chases cat. Unless cat is cute.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For a Cat

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this since I like cosplaying Jade and my matesprit cosplays Nepeta. <3

Between a frustrating game of fetch [Dave was more than amused by my new furry side] and a trip to the kitchen, I caught the tantalizing scent of cat. I mean, I would be breaking dog rules had I not turned tails to investigate. It would be unlawful. If it turned out to be Jaspers, I might have to run him off. But now that I was surrounded by trolls of all scents, I may have to leave it be.

Sniffing door after door revealed an unsatisfying lack of cat. But a dog knows that scent anywhere. It was born in them. And no, it didn't matter that I was born human! I know what I smelled, alright? I made a careful pace around the hallway again, nose twitching. I'm sure there was an appropriate metaphor that could apply with the way I patrolled the hall, ears pricked tall, head low and eyes squinted hard in concentration. But that was Dave's thing, and I was not a Strider. Also, not an Egbert. I wouldn't start some dumb metaphor and fail to carry through with something cool or ironic. I was a Harley. I made the metaphor happen.

Finally I found it. The stupid scent was floating out of the air duct. I rolled my eyes at how typical a cat could be sometimes! The vent had been pried away many times before. Looking into the dusty hole, I found it just large enough to squeeze through. At that I sighed, wondering whether this was all worth it. I had more dignity than to continue barking after running a cat up a tree.

But curiousity always got the better. I hefted myself into the duct and began crawling. Careful not to disturb the spiders and cobwebs, as tactful as the sneaky cat before, I took a few turns before finally feeling a warmer waft of air mixed with the original scent that brought me here. The last thing I had expected was what I found in the dusty room below.

The entrancing sight of hundreds of tiny tea candles left me awed. The glow of flame and softness of shadow danced across the room. It seemed so peaceful. But in the blanket of dust were scuffs of an unusual trail. It lead up to the troll settled quietly in an array of cups dripping paint, crusty discarded brushes, And many crumpled paper towels.

She had yet to notice me hanging halfway out the duct, her eyes carefully perusing the huge mural before her. It easily took my attention.

There was such emotion instilled into the mural, with scripts of words in Alternian which I could not read. There were many trolls, but in all one of bright red and another in olive green, always intwined, always together. It seemed to tell a story of love and friendship, but turned quickly to sadness and loss. I was enraptured by the sheer emotion. But then the troll reached up to an unfinished edge. She began humming a little tune.

"This is beautiful!"

I couldn't help myself. The troll, startled by the interruption, took back her brush and stared up at me. I'm not sure whether she was scared from being caught, or from being caught by a dog, but the stress rolled off her in waves as she stared. I could see the faintest olive in her eyes, a sign of blooming maturity in troll kind. She bat her thick dark lashes, and the silence became unsettling. That moment I realized how ridiculous I must look, just hanging there from the vent. I could feel a flush spread as I climbed down.

She gave me a wary glare, but remained quiet. I could see her thinking, figuring out the circumstances in which I found her in here. I grinned my best, toothy dog grin. But she didn't like that all that much, so I softened it and looked up at the mural again.

"Did you paint this all yourself?"

She fidgeted with the brush in her fingers. The wisps of dark hair caressed her neck and cheeks, but she raised a gloved hand to push some behind her ear.

"Purrhaps. Why?"

I smiled down to her. "It's wonderful. I think you're very talented."

At that, she looked up from under her lashes at the mural.

"I''ve been purracticing a very long time."

I thought to some of the scribbles I had seen around the meteor. They started out messy and immature, got better, and suddenly just stopped. This must have been her grand finale. I saw her turn back as I admired the beauty on the wall. She shifted in the paint smattered trench that she wore, her fingers stilling.

"Please don't tail anybody?"

I might have fought back, but there was something in the demure presence around her. She didn't want others to know. I frowned, contemplated her for a moment, and then nodded.

"Okay. But only if you tell me what this all is."

That got me the look I was expecting. Her whole body pricked with excitement, and she sat taller as I wandered closer. A catty smile graced her face and she pat the space next to her invitingly.

As she gave me the story, it was like a whole new cat. She mewed with delight at the idea of a couple who could exemplify all of their romance quadrants, clicked with disapproval at the troll in blue, and growled low in her throat at the Subjugulators decrees. In all, an inspiring story, but nothing would have made it any more captivating without her telling it.

I yawned as she ended the story, her animations in the telling taking a short idea into a full ordeal. It had to be long into the night now, and I had missed my nap earlier today. She yawned as well, a long languishing yowl that ended with a sigh. A small smile graced her lips as we looked over her artwork, and finally I decided it was time to leave.

"You really are very talented." I repeat, as I begin climbing up into the duct.

"Yeah... You're really talented..." I repeat one last time, "for a cat, anyway."

I climbed away without looking back.

 

A few days later, I saw random paintings showing up again. It was obviously couples, Karkat and Terezi, Tavros and Vriska. It was as if she was showing people her artistic talents again. I never caught her in the act again, but I was always aware that sneaky cat was around. But never as much as the day, only a week later, I found in my own room a painting of a big white dog cuddled around a little green cat.


End file.
